Guide
How to label multi-packs of the same product
If customers cannot see the particulars without opening the outer pack, the outer pack needs the mandatory information — or each inner PPDS unit must carry it and remain visible. Do not hide ingredients inside an unmarked sleeve.
Reviewed against official guidance.SourcesNot legal advice.
The short answer
If customers cannot see the particulars without opening the outer pack, the outer pack needs the mandatory information — or each inner PPDS unit must carry it and remain visible. Do not hide ingredients inside an unmarked sleeve.
Write the ingredients list from the recipe and supplier specs, in descending order of weight, then emphasise every Annex II allergen each time it appears.
How to apply it
If customers cannot see the particulars without opening the outer pack, the outer pack needs the mandatory information — or each inner PPDS unit must carry it and remain visible. Do not hide ingredients inside an unmarked sleeve. Write the ingredients list from the recipe and supplier specs, in descending order of weight, then emphasise every Annex II allergen each time it appears. Walk the product in front of you against the checklist below before you print. The mistake to refuse is: Every unit that is PPDS needs correct particulars unless the outer carries them and rules on visibility are met — keep it simple: label what customers take.
- Decide whether outers or inners carry particulars
- Keep inner units consistent
- Do not mix recipes in one unmarked outer
- Check visibility through clear film if relying on inners
Worked example
Worked example for “How to label multi-packs of the same product”: take one real SKU you sell this week. Apply the first check — decide whether outers or inners carry particulars. Then contrast it with keep inner units consistent. Write the name of the food and the full ingredients list from today’s recipe and supplier specs, emphasise every Annex II allergen each time it appears, and only then print. If the pack in your hand does not match that list, it is not ready for sale. (If customers cannot see the particulars without opening the outer pack, the outer pack needs the mandatory information — or each inner PPDS unit must carry it and remain visible.)
Checklist before you print
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Decide whether outers or inners carry particulars | For “How to label multi-packs of the same product”, “Decide whether outers or inners carry particulars” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Keep inner units consistent | For “How to label multi-packs of the same product”, “Keep inner units consistent” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Do not mix recipes in one unmarked outer | For “How to label multi-packs of the same product”, “Do not mix recipes in one unmarked outer” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
| Check visibility through clear film if relying on inners | For “How to label multi-packs of the same product”, “Check visibility through clear film if relying on inners” is the check that stops the pack drifting from what you actually sell. |
Labelling only one brownie in a pack of four
Every unit that is PPDS needs correct particulars unless the outer carries them and rules on visibility are met — keep it simple: label what customers take.
Go deeper
Next: PPDS label template. Layouts that stay readable. Then paste your ingredients into the free generator and confirm allergens before you print.
Questions
Can mixed cookie selections share one list?
What about clear bags where the inner label shows?
Official sources
Everything on this page traces back to these. Where they and we disagree, they are right — tell us and we'll fix it.
- Introduction to allergen labelling for PPDS foodFood Standards Agency / GOV.UK
- Labelling guidance for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food productsFood Standards Agency / GOV.UK
- Food allergen labelling and information requirements technical guidanceFood Standards Agency / GOV.UK
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